A laser processing system capable of reliably determining an abnormality in a jet during laser process. The laser processing system comprises a nozzle including an emission opening configured to emit a jet of an assist gas along an optical axis of a laser beam, the nozzle being configured to form a maximum point of velocity of the jet at a position away from the emission opening; a measuring instrument configured to measure any of the velocity of the jet and a sound generated by the jet impinging on a workpiece; and an abnormality determination section configured to determine whether or not output data of the measuring instrument is different from reference data.

A method and system for laser metal powder deposition using beam wobbling. The system may include a fiber laser configured to generate a laser beam and a laser head, the laser head configured to receive the laser beam from the fiber laser and including a collimator configured to collimate the laser beam, a wobbler module having first and second movable mirrors, and a focus lens configured to focus the collimated laser beam through a powder nozzle device such that a focal point location of the focused collimated laser beam is positioned below a workpiece surface. The powder nozzle device delivers metal powder to a region on the workpiece surface that is heated by the focused collimated laser beam.

Air management systems are provided for optimizing airflow in laser welding with deflectors. A system for a welder includes a blower to generate an airflow stream. A plenum receives the airflow stream, directs it toward the workpiece, and defines an outlet facing the workpiece to expel the airflow stream toward the workpiece. A deflector adjacent the outlet is formed as a conical section converging from the plenum toward the workpiece, and is defined by an angled wall with an open center. The deflector concentrates the airflow stream to impart a velocity increase to the airflow stream after leaving the outlet and to impart a favorable directional component to the airflow stream toward a weld zone, as well as protecting the laser lens by increasing the downward momentum force of the air stream to eliminate the potential of spatter impinging the lens.

The present application relates to an apparatus (10) for laser processing, comprising at least two laser sources, which are different from one another and are configured for supplying respective laser beams having wavelengths different from one another, a laser head (20), which can be operated as end tool of a laser machine tool (90) that can be configured for carrying out at least one type of laser processing operation that can be selected from a set of types of laser processing operations, and a set of orientable optical components (16) so as to provide a set of selectable optical paths for directing a laser beam supplied by a laser source of said at least two laser sources, and a control unit (30) coupled to the at least two laser sources, to the set of orientable optical components (16), and to the laser head (20) and configured for controlling the at least two laser sources, the set of orientable optical components (16), and the laser head (20) according to the type of laser processing operation selected from the set of types of laser processing operations, i.e., so as to supply and direct a laser beam associated to the respective type of processing operation onto a region of a work surface (110). The laser head (20) comprises a set of nozzles (40, 42, 44, 46) configured for directing at least one processing material onto the working region (110), which comprises at least one nozzle (40) configured for directing jets of powder of at least one material, preferably powder of metal material (in brief metal powder), as well as comprising at least one of the following: a) a first nozzle (42) configured for directing a metal wire onto the working region, preferably metal wire for laser welding; and b) a second nozzle (46) configured for directing an assist gas onto the working region, preferably an assist gas for laser welding, and wherein the control unit (30) is coupled to the set of nozzles and is configured for controlling at least one nozzle of said set of nozzles (40, 42, 44, 46) according to the type of associated and selected laser processing operation so as to control said at least one nozzle so that it will direct respective processing materials onto the working region (110) simultaneously with direction of the laser beam (L) associated to the type of laser processing operation selected.

A directed energy deposition system and method including a set of nozzles for directing material, such in the form of a particle stream, at a part and a set of energy sources for generating a melt pool as the material contacts the part. The system further includes apparatus for generating a sound field that controls characteristics of the particle stream as it passes through the sound field.

The present invention provides a laser welding process and a holding fixture for holding a first and a second body during a laser welding process. A first body and a second body for welding together along at least one weld line to form a joined component are immobilised in the holding fixture by a back clamp and a front clamp of the fixture. A shielding gas is supplied, from respective plenums formed in the back and front clamps, to back and front sides of the component along the weld line. Laser welding the first and second bodies together along the weld line, the laser weld thus-formed penetrating from the front side to the back side of the component.

A method for receiving and dispensing a 3D printer filament includes receiving the 3D printer filament using a nozzle having a barrel and an end tip. The barrel includes an internal bore, an exterior surface and a heat break defined in the exterior surface of the barrel. The internal bore has a filament receiving end and a filament discharge end, the end tip being positioned proximate to the filament discharge end. The method includes heating the 3D printer filament with a heating element proximate the filament discharge end, where the heating element includes a heating wire wrapped around the exterior surface of the barrel. The method also includes dispensing the 3D printer filament through a discharge orifice of the end tip.

Some variations provide an aluminum alloy feedstock for additive manufacturing, the aluminum alloy feedstock comprising from 81.5 wt % to 88.8 wt % aluminum; from 1.1 wt % to 2.1 wt % copper; from 3.0 wt % to 4.6 wt % magnesium; and from 7.1 wt % to 9.0 wt % zinc. The aluminum alloy feedstock may be in the form of a free-flowing powder or a feedstock ingot, for example. In some variations, the aluminum alloy feedstock comprises from 84.9 wt % to 88.3 wt % aluminum; from 1.2 wt % to 2.0 wt % copper; from 3.2 wt % to 4.4 wt % magnesium; and from 7.3 wt % to 8.7 wt % zinc.

The present invention discloses an optical path/beam splitting unit and a coaxial-wire-feed cladding head thereof. The optical path/beam splitting unit includes an adjustable mirror and at least one stage of beam splitter. Several adjustable mirrors are distributed around the beam splitter. The beam splitter splits an incident laser beam into a plurality of split beams perpendicular to the incident laser beam. The split beams all are focused to a point through the adjustable mirrors. The coaxial-wire-feed cladding head includes a cladding head mirror cavity provided therein with the optical path/beam splitting unit and a wire feeding tube. The wire feeding tube is coaxially arranged with the collimated laser beam. The wire feeding tube extends out of the cladding head mirror cavity. A wire passes through the wire feeding tube and the wire feeding nozzle in order. The adjustable mirrors adjust the focusing of the split beams onto the wire.

Provided are ceramic cutting methods and equipment: a beam irradiation unit for irradiating a beam of a wavelength absorbed by a pattern formed on an upper surface of a ceramic and partially absorbed by the ceramic; a coolant spraying unit for spraying a coolant onto the ceramic irradiated with the beam, wherein the pattern is removed by heating and cooling the ceramic , and is cut by reducing thermal damage by using the stress caused by the recrystallization of an upper layer or all of the ceramic or the stress generated by the thermal expansion and contraction of the upper layer or the entire ceramic, thereby recrystallizing the ceramic by heating and cooling the ceramic , or cutting the ceramic by heating until the ceramic melts, and cooling to apply thermal stress to the inside of the ceramic, followed by an additional separation process of a ceramic material without loss.